The group trudged back to the camp in a tense silence, the weight of the revelation pressing heavily on their minds. Ryder walked at the front, his posture tense. As they neared the main camp, he stopped and turned to face the group.
"No one breathes a word of this to anyone," Ryder said firmly, his voice low but commanding. "The last thing we need is panic spreading through the camp. Until we know more, we keep this between us."
The others nodded reluctantly, casting glances at one another. Jack stayed silent, his small frame standing out amongst the older, taller figures.
As the group dispersed, Nate caught Jack by the shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. "Hey, wait," Nate said.
Jack turned, his intelligent eyes studying Nate.
"I need to talk to you privately," Nate said, glancing at the others.
Jack hesitated, but nodded.
"Madison," Nate called, turning toward her. "Stay here too."
Madison, who was just about to walk away, paused mid-step and arched an eyebrow. "What's going on?" she asked.
"Just wait," Nate said, his tone making it clear he wasn't asking.
Once everyone else had left and the three of them were alone, Nate crossed his arms, facing Jack. "You've been thinking about where we are, haven't you?"
Jack nodded slowly, narrowing his eyes. "Of course. It's all I've been thinking about since we got here."
"How do you think we got here?" Nate asked directly.
Jack blinked, slightly taken aback by the blunt question. He thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I don't know yet. I've been trying to piece it together, but nothing makes sense."
Nate studied him for a moment, then leaned forward slightly. "What if I can answer that question for you?"
Jack's brows furrowed. "If you know something, then tell me. It would really help me figure out where we are."
Nate took a deep breath, exchanging a glance with Madison. "A few days ago, when I was with Madison and Amara in the cave, we found something."
"What?" Jack asked, his curiosity piqued.
"A portal," Nate said. "A tear in space. It led somewhere else entirely."
Jack blinked, stunned. He opened his mouth to respond, but Nate continued.
"I think that's what happened to our plane," Nate said. "I think another tear in space brought us here. We weren't just blown off course—we were pulled through."
Jack rubbed his forehead, his mind racing. "That doesn't make any sense," he muttered. "Wormholes are just theoretical. There's no proof they exist, let alone that they could transport people like this."
Nate shook his head firmly. "That was before. Before this became our reality. The rules we thought we knew don't seem to apply here anymore."
Jack stared at Nate, trying to process the information.
Before Jack could respond further, Nate leaned toward Madison and whispered something in her ear, his voice too low for Jack to hear. Madison nodded, and before Jack could ask what was going on, Nate grabbed her hand.
In the blink of an eye, they both disappeared, leaving Jack standing alone, staring at the empty space where they had just been.
Nate and Madison appeared in a clearing far from the camp. The ground beneath them was covered in jagged rocks and sparse vegetation, the air unnaturally still. Madison looked around, confused.
"Why are we here?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern.
Nate didn't answer right away. Instead, he lowered himself onto the ground, his knees drawn up as his hands pressed into the dirt. His face was pale, his eyes unfocused.
"You should go," he said quietly, his voice strained.
Madison's brows furrowed. "What? Why? What's wrong?"
Nate exhaled sharply, his breath uneven. "Something's... wrong inside me," he said, his voice barely audible. "It's like—like something's trying to escape. I've been holding it in, but I can't anymore."
"Nate…" Madison began, but he raised a hand to stop her.
"Move back," he said, his voice rough and urgent.
Madison hesitated but took several steps back as Nate's fire flared to life around him. It was no longer the controlled flame he wielded with precision. This was wild, untamed, and consuming. His eyes began to glow, flickering with a fiery intensity as sweat dripped from his forehead.
"Argh!" Nate let out a guttural scream, his hands clawing at the ground. The dirt beneath him scorched and cracked as the fire spread outward, devouring everything in its path.
Madison's heart raced as she watched helplessly. "Nate! What's happening to you?" she shouted, taking a step forward.
"Don't come closer!" Nate yelled, his voice distorted, almost unrecognizable. His face turned toward her, and Madison froze. His features were nearly obscured by flames, his skin glowing like molten rock.
The ground around Nate began to tremble, and the heat became unbearable. Madison took another step back, shielding her face from the intensity. She watched in horror as Nate's fire spiraled out of control, engulfing his entire body.
Nate's scream pierced the air as he threw his head back, his body convulsing. Fire shot from him in all directions, creating a searing dome of flames. The sky above them glowed orange as a column of fire erupted upward, splitting the heavens.
Madison shielded her eyes from the blinding light, her heart pounding. When she managed to look again, Nate was no longer writhing in pain.
He floated several feet off the ground, his body engulfed in a radiant inferno. From her perspective, he looked like an otherworldly being—a fiery angel wreathed in flames. His movements were slow and deliberate, his arms outstretched as if he was embracing the fire.
"Nate?" Madison called hesitantly, her voice barely above a whisper.
He didn't respond, his body glowing with an ethereal intensity. The flames around him danced, casting shadows that flickered and twisted.
Madison stared, awe and fear mingling in her expression. Despite the overwhelming fire, his clothes remained untouched, as though they were a part of him now.
"Nate!" she called again, louder this time.
Still no response. But from his calm, graceful movements, Madison could tell that the pain had subsided.
As she watched, her mind raced with one question. What was happening to him?
Nate descended slowly to the ground, his flames extinguishing. He stood upright, his posture calm, and a rare smile spread across his face. Madison stared at him, her jaw slightly ajar.
"You..." she began, her voice faltering. "You look... so different."
But before she could finish her thought, the temperature plummeted. The once-warm air turned bitterly cold, and frost began to creep across the ground. The plants and trees froze, encased in a thin layer of ice, and the air grew unnaturally still.
Nate's smile vanished as his body instinctively ignited with fire again, flames licking at his hands and shoulders. He glanced at Madison and said firmly, "Stay close to me."
The cold pressed in from all directions, and Nate's breath misted in the frigid air. He turned his head, scanning the surroundings, but there was no obvious source of the freezing temperature.
Then, the sound came. Footsteps—slow, deliberate, and echoing unnaturally. The sound seemed to bounce off every surface, coming from nowhere and everywhere at once.
Madison gripped Nate's arm. "What is that?"
Nate didn't answer. He tensed as a figure emerged from the frozen forest.
It was humanoid in shape but completely encased in ice. Its body gleamed like polished crystal, and with every step, frost spread beneath its feet. The creature's face was devoid of emotion, its eyes hollow and lifeless, like two frozen voids.
It moved calmly but with an air of deadly purpose, its gaze fixed solely on Nate.
Nate's instincts screamed at him. This wasn't a friendly encounter. He raised his hands, summoning balls of fire, and hurled them at the icy figure.
The fire slammed into the creature, engulfing it momentarily, but the flames fizzled out as quickly as they had appeared. The icy figure didn't flinch or pause—it just kept walking, the fire leaving no trace on its body.
"What the—" Nate muttered, trying again. More fire erupted from his hands, but the result was the same. The flames couldn't touch the creature, dying out before they could even scorch its surface.
Nate's fire sputtered out completely. No matter how much he tried, the flames refused to reignite.
"Madison!" he shouted, his voice urgent. "We have to get out of here! Now!"
Madison, though frozen in fear, reacted immediately. She grabbed Nate's shoulder and focused. In an instant, they disappeared, leaving the icy clearing behind.
They reappeared in another part of the forest, far from where they had been. Nate staggered slightly, catching his breath. "What the hell was that?" he panted.
Madison opened her mouth to respond, but her words caught in her throat. Her wide eyes were fixed on something behind Nate.
He didn't need her to speak. He heard it—the same deliberate footsteps echoing across the ground.
Slowly, he turned, his heart pounding.
The icy figure was there.
It stood only a few feet away, as if it had been there the entire time. Its lifeless eyes bore into Nate's, and for the first time in a long while, Nate felt true fear.
"How...?" Nate whispered, taking a step back.
The being didn't answer. It didn't make a sound, but its presence was suffocating. The frost spread further, creeping toward Nate and Madison, the temperature dropping even lower.
Nate's breath fogged the air as he tried to summon his fire again, but it was no use. His flames wouldn't ignite in the presence of this creature.
The being took another step forward, closing the gap between them. Now, it was face to face with Nate, its dead eyes staring straight into his.
Nate clenched his fists, his mind racing. He couldn't run, and he couldn't fight—not against this.